Walking, biking OK – not team sports

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If you walked around William Curtis Park on an April afternoon, chances are you had plenty of company – fellow walkers, joggers, bike riders, people exercising by themselves, a few having picnics in the park.

What you probably didn’t see were people playing organized team sports.

The city padlocked the tennis courts, wrapped the basketball hoops in plastic and posted warning signs that the facilities were closed after county Health Director Olivia Kasirye revised an earlier stay-at-home order April 7. The revised order prohibited the use of “playgrounds, outdoor gym equipment, picnic areas, barbecue areas, tennis and pickle ball courts, rock parks, climbing walls, pools, spas, shooting and archery ranges, gyms, disc golf and basketball courts.”

The ball field in Curtis Park, which had been made ready for Little League play in February by the parents of Land Park Softball players, remained idle throughout April. After the season was abruptly shut down in March, Little League headquarters in Pennsylvania advised its 6,500 programs in 84 countries that games should resume no earlier than May 11.

In Sacramento, the presidents of the local Little Leagues participated in a Zoom meeting in late April to discuss contingencies for having a season in June and July, if that becomes feasible.

The city golf courses and driving ranges remained open, although the courses’ restaurants and retail services, including golf lessons, were shut down.

The city said operators of Bartley Cavanaugh, Bing Maloney, Land Park and Haggin Oaks courses had developed practices to ensure physical distancing, increase cleaning of equipment and facilities, and prohibit customers from sharing equipment.

The county’s latest order was to remain in effect until May 1, “or until it is extended, rescinded, superseded or amended,” Kasirye wrote.

The order did not prohibit “outdoor recreation activity, including… walking, hiking, biking, running or equestrian activities.”

Mario Lara, director of the city’s Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment Department, asked that if you visit a park with members of your household, “keep your group small and maintain physical distance between you and other park-goers.”